Interview with Kirby Andersen, Pastor and IC Coach
Kirby Andersen has been involved in pastoral ministry for 35 years—19 of those years as a senior pastor. In addition to serving as a coach with Intentional Churches, he is a life coach and blogs at KirbyAndersen.com. Kirby loves to help others become better versions of themselves at home and work—to live better, love more, and leave a legacy.
He and his wife, Gail, have been married 40 years. They have three sons and twin daughters, three daughters-in-law, and (so far) three granddaughters and three grandsons. They now live in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Recently we had a chance to interview Kirby and we gained some incredible insight!
How did you become a part of IC?
In the summer of 2017, I had my LifePlan done by Doug Slaybaugh. Although I wasn’t currently on staff in a church, I had a desire to help other pastors. Doug pointed out that all of my greatest accomplishments had been in the context of a team and recommended Intentional Churches. He made the introduction to Doug Parks and I was hooked from our very first conversation. Within a few months, I attended training and have been full steam ahead ever since.
Tell us about your passion to help churches grow?
I’ve spent 35 years serving in pastoral roles in the local church—19 years as a senior pastor. I’ve been privileged to have been a part of a couple of large and influential churches as well as pastor a small yet growing church. Oh, how I wish I’d had an operating system like IGP and the support system that comes with it from such great church leaders! Rather than wallow in what I didn’t have, I am passionate about coming alongside other pastors to help them move their churches forward faster. I love the clarity and unity IGP brings to any team. To be able to leverage 35 years of experience in combination with the power of IGP lights up my coach’s heart!
Can you share a story of the Kingdom Impact from a church you have coached with IC?
My first IGP church I served as a coach was pastored by a close, longtime friend of mine. He’d actually tried to figure out how he could hire me to come alongside him and his team long distance. We could never figure out how to do that sustainably. When I become part of the IC team, IGP provided the solution—and so much more than what I could have provided by myself. In one year, they reignited their vision with tremendous clarity, reversed their decline in attendance and experienced over 10% growth, launched a capital campaign for a major renovation of their church building, and are experiencing a new surge of momentum in volunteers and small groups. They are about to start their Advanced IGP and can’t wait!
Share some wisdom or encouragement you have learned from being in the trenches of ministry.
Ministry was never meant to be done alone nor was it meant to be haphazard. Not only does a team need to continuously work toward clarity and unity, they also need the power of a trusted outside voice. We all drift and can be distracted by the upcoming weekend. Most churches I’ve been familiar with have no lack of passion yet are light on strategy and follow through. Every church can benefit from developing a system of strategic planning and renewal and guided by a trusted outside voice.
